Apparatus for exhibiting moving pictures.



N0. 809,981. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. N. POWER. APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING MOVING PICTURES.

' APPLICATION FILED 11.9mm.

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'Eg l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS IN VENTOH alaa'flmsr A TTOHNE PATENTED JAN 16, 1906 2 SHEETS-SHEET z D I I N. POWER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.9,1904.

APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING MOVING PICTURES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING MOVING PICTURES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed March 9, 1904. Serial No. 197,261.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS POWER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Exhibiting Moving Pictures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to vitascopes or apparatus for exhibiting moving pictures.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a take-up or compensating device adapted for operation. in connection with the spool on which the film is to be wound after or as it is unreeled, but which may be adapted for analogous purposes, said device being also the driving device for the winding-spool, and is so constructed as to automatically vary its speed in proportion to the increased diameter of the reeled film on the spool, the speed of the spool being greatest at the initial op eration of winding, automatically decreasing as the bulk of the spool increases, and in such a proportionate manner that the tensional strain on the film or other material to be wound or reeled will be uniform throughout the winding operation from start to finish.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a cut-off in connection with chambers adapted to receive the dispensing and receiving spools, which cut-off and chambers will act to effectually prevent any fire caused by the ignition of the film between the spools reaching the film 011 either spool, the cut-off acting automatically, and, furthermore, to

v so construct the cut-off that it will not have detrimental action on the film in connection with which it may be employed.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the machine having the improvements applied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the receptacles containing the reel or spool for the film and a perspective view of the cutoff used in connection therewith. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional side elevation of the lower portion of the machine and the attachment,

I illustrating the application of the take-up or compensating device and the application of the lower cut-ofl' and Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of the take-up or compensating device.

A represents an upright board, B a horizontal board connected therewith in any approved manner, and C represents a support on which the two connected boards A and B are secured.

B represents a train of gearing, which is operated usually by means of a crank B and this train of gearing B is carried by a vortically moving carriage E, over which the film passes, and the said carriage E has a suitable exposure-opening 13 for the film coacting with corresponding openings in the mechanism back of the carriage and in the upright A. This carriage E is provided above the exposure-opening 13 with a shaft 10, on which guide-rollers 10 for the film are mounted, together with a lower shaft 1 1 for the guide-rollers 1 1*, also adapted for engagement with the edges of the film as the said film passes down from a box D at the upper portion of the support A to a lower box D below the support 0. These shafts 10 and 11 are operated through the medium of a driven shaft 12, and this driven shaft 12 is operated through the medium of a drive-shaft 12, receiving its motion through the aforesaid train of gearing B; Just above the carriage E and forming a portion of the carriage another guide-shaft 14 is mounted to turn, over which the film is adapted to pass in its passage to the exposure-opening 13, and at the bottom portion of the carriage E another shaft 15 is mounted to turn, carrying guide-wheels 16 for the film, and below the shaft another shaft 17 is placed, having wheels 17 cooperating with the guidewheels 16. All the above mechanism is that which is common to machines of this charac ter, as is likewise the friction-roller 18, located below the shaft 17; but this roller 18 may be omitted, and when this roller is used it is intended to direct the film to the reel or spool in the lower box D of the machine.

A bracket 19 is carried down from the carriage E to a point below the bottom B of the framework of the machine, and on this bracket 19 an auxiliary bracket 20 is adjustably secured by means of a suitable set-screw 21, and this auxiliary bracket 20 is provided with upper and lower friction-pulleys 22. At the upper portion of the bracket 19 a crank-arm 24 is pivoted, which carries a friction-roller 25, adapted to coaet with the roller, 18, and a spring 26 by engagement with one member of the angle-arm 24 holds the said frictionroller 25 up to its work, and the film 27 is passed over the guidepulleys 16, in. engagement with the friction pulleys or wheels 17 down over the drum 18 to the lower reel or spool to be hereinafter described.

The upper box D and likewise the lower box D, which are of similar construction and must be made of non-inflammable material to give effective protection to the film, are provided with doors which open outward, so that a reel or spool F or H may be conveniently introduced therein. The upper box D, by means of a suitable clamping-plate 28, is secured to the upper portion of the body of the structure, and the reel is suitably mounted to turn therein, the upper reel F being adapted to carry the film F to be exposed. In the lower portion of the said box or casing D a guide-chute 29 is formed, connecting with a suitable opening in the bottom of the box or casing, through which the film may pass, and a guide-roller 30 is located above this opening in the said box or casing, as is shown in Fig. 2. A cut-off or damper valve G is employed in connection with the opening in the upper box or casing, through which the said film passes, and this cutoi'f or damper valve extends down into the guide-chute 29, the said damper-valve being pivoted between its ends at a point within the upper box or casing D, and the lower portion of the dampervalve is downwardly and outwardly curved, so as to offer as little resistance to the film as possible, and is so constructed as preferably to have bearing only against the plain or marginal portion of the film, while the upper end of the damper-valve, or that within the box or casing D, is provided with a weight 31, which normally keeps this lower end in the above-mentioned contact with the film,

so that should the film take fire below the box or easing D this damper-valve acts to prevent the fire spreading to the film which is within the upper box or casingin fact, entirely cuts off the fire when it reaches the lower portion of the damper-valve. At the same time this damper-valve G does not interfere in any manner with the movement of the film past the exposure or display opening of the device, as the said damper-valve G is so constructed at its engaging edge as to have the least possible frictional contact with the film and the weight is small enough to permit the valve to open under the tension of the film when the apparatus is in operation.

At the lower portion of the device the box or casing D is secured in any suitable or approved manner and is practically a duplicate of that shown in Fig. 2. The receiving-opening 32 for the film is at the top portion of this lower box or casing D and is surrounded by a collar or chute 33, and a second damper or cut-off valve 34. is pivoted in this chute, engaging with the film just as it enters the lower box or casing D. This lower cut-oil or damper valve 34 is of the same construction as the damper-valve G, which has been described in connection with the upper box or casing D, and its operation is clearly shown in Fig.

A reel 11 is suitably mounted in the lower box D, and on this reel or spool H the film, after the exposures have been made, is adapted to be wound. It is desirable that the film when wound upon the receivingspool H shall be evenly and uniformly wound and that the speed at which the spool shall turn shall be uniform with the requirements of the spool relative to the increasing diameter of the material wound thereon. To that end I provide a compensating or take-up device, (particularlyshown in Figs. 1 and 4,) which is of very simple construction and is entirely automatic in its action. This device consists in a spindle 35, mounted at one end in a hanger 35 and to which the spool is attached in any suitable or approved manner, and on this spindle 35 I mount a sectional pulley K. This pulley K is in two parts, or, in other words, it is split at its center and is divided into two sections 36 and 36 ner section, is secured to the spindle 35 by means of a set screw 37 or equivalent means, while the outer section 36 is free to turn around said spindle 35, but is normally held in engagement with the fixed section 36 by means of a spring 38, coiled around the spindle 35 and having bearing against the loose section 36 and against a washer 39, which washer bears against a nut 40, capable of being secured to the said spindle. In this manner the tension of the spring 38 relative to the loose section 36 of the pulley can be increased or decreased according to the work which said pulley is called upon to perform. A driving-belt 41 is passed around the pulley K, engaging normally with both of its sections, as the pulley is peripherally grooved, and this driving-belt 41 passes over a smaller pulley 42, which is secured to the shaft 15,driven by the crankarm B or by any equivalent means. This pulley 1 call a compensating pulley, because when the film or other material is to be initially wound m the spool H the speed of the spindle carrying the said spool will be greatest, as the belt 41 will at that time engage equally with both of the sections 36 and 36 of the compensating or take-up pulley K, and the two sections 36 and 36 of the said pulley will act as one; but as the bulk of material increases on the spool in proportion to the increase of the bulk so will be the strain on the belt 41, and the belt will gradually work outward, carrying the loose section 36 of the pulley K from the fixed section 36 The section 36, which is the in- 5 against the tension of the spring 38, and as this seoaration is made, even to a sligh eX- tent, the speed of the pulley K, and consequently the speed of the spindle 35, will be proportionately decreased, as a smaller surface of the belt will engage with the fixed portion of the pu'ley, and the fixed portion of the pulley in a driving sense will not have the assistance of the loosely-mounted portion 36 and when the film or other mat rial Woundon the spool II has reached a large diameter the belt 41 will have forced the loose section 36 of the compensating pulley K so far away from the fixed section 36 that but a very small frictional surface of the belt will engage with the fixed. section 36 of the pulley and the greater frictional surface of the belt will be in engagement with the looselymounted section 36, so that the speed of the belt, while consistent throughout, will have a compensating driving connection with the spindle 35, and such compensating connection is gradually and automatically brought about by the increased diameter of the material on the spool.

It will be observed that I not only control the perfect winding of the material on a spool, but that I also provide means at the top and bottom of the apparatus which effectually prevents fire reaching either the material on the delivery-spool or the material on the winding-spool, and consequently only that portion of the film or other material which may be passing through the body of the apparatus can be consumed between the two boxes or casings D and D in the event of fire. The bottom of the upper box or casing and the top of the lower box or casing form two non-inflammable plates which act as flame shields and which are provided with openings for the passage of the fil1n.' The openings are large enough to permit free passage of the film Without appreciable friction in passing through; but the valves provided adjacent to the openings constitute flame-arresting devices, which become operative as soon as the tension upon the film is reduced by the ignition of the film at the display-opening.

I desire it to be understood that the pulleys 22 (shown in Figs. 1 and 3) are simply guide pulleys for the driving-belt 41, and the adjustment of the pulleys by means of the bracket 20 is for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the tension of the said belt, and that I do not confine myself to the exact arrangernent of such guide-pulleys.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In picture-exhibiting and other machines, a spool upon which a web is to be wound, a spindle for said spool, a drivingpulley for the spindle, said pulley comprising a section fast upon the spindle and a tensioncontrolled section also mounted on said spindle and adapted to rotate independently of the other section, and a belt for imparting motion to said pulley and said spindle.

2. In picture-exllibiting apparatus, a flameshield comprising a non-inflammable plate disposed adjacent to the light-aperture and having an opening for the passage of the film, and means controlled by the tension upon the film for preventing a flame from following the film through the opening in the plate.

3. Inpictureexhibitin g apparatus, a flameshield comprising a non-inflammable plate arranged adjacent to the danger-point, and a valve" controlled by the tension upon the film for preventing flame from following the film beyond the plate.

4. In picture-exhibiting machines, a filmreceptacle having an opening therein, and a device controlled by the tension upon the film to prevent a flame from following the film through the opening in the receptacle.

5. In picture-exhibiting machines, a re ceptacle for a spool of film, an opening in said receptacle through which the film passes, a chute surrounding the said opening, and a damper-valve partially within the said receptacle and partially within the said chute, and having normal hearing against a film passing through the said opening in the receptacle, as described.

6. In picture-exhibiting machines, a receptacle for a spool of films, having an opening therein and a chute around the opening, a damper or cut-oil valve extending through the opening into the said chute and having the end within the chute adapted for light frictional engagement with the film, the opposite end of the said damper or cut-off valve being weighted, as described.

7. A moving-picture apparatus provided with a flame-shield, comprising a non-inflammable plate arranged above the light-aperture in proximity to the danger-point and adapted to protect the portion of the film above said aperture from the flames when the portion of the film in front of the same is on fire.

55. In picture-exhibiting machines, a filmreceptacle having an opening in the wall thereof for the passage of the film, means for supporting a spool of film within the receptacle, and automatically-operative means for preventing the passage of a flame through the opening into the interior of the receptacle.

9. In picture-exhibiting machines, a filmreceptacle having means for supporting the spec] of film within the receptacle and having an opening in the wall for the passage of the film, of a valve in close proximity to said opening and througl'i which the film passes.

10. In picture-exhibiting machines, afilmreceptacle having means for rotatably securing a spool of film therein, and having an opening in the wall for the passage of the film,

l and a device controlled by the tension upon the film for preventing the passage of flame through the opening and into the receptacle.

11, In picture-exhibiting machines, a receptacle for a spool of film having an opening for the passage of the film, a spindle extending into the receptacle and adapted to receive a spool of film, automatically operative means for preventing the passage of a flame through the opening and into the interior of the receptacle, and means outside of the receptacle for rotating the spindle to wind film upon the spool.

12. In picture-exhibiting machines, a filmreceptacle adapted to protect the fihn from fire and having an opening for the passage of the film, automatically-operative means for preventing the passage of the flame through said opening, a spindle extending within the receptacle and adapted to receive a spool of film, and means outside of the receptacle for rotating the spindle to wind the film upon the spool, said rotating means being adapted to maintain a substantially uniform tension upon the film.

13. In moving-picture machines, the combination with a pair of film-spools arranged on opposite sides of the light-aperture, of a receptacle for each spool adapted to protect the film thereon from fire, each receptacle having an opening for the passage of the film, and automatically-operative means associated with each receptacle for preventing the passage of flame through the opening and into the receptacle.

14. In moving-picture machines, the combination with a pair of film-spools arranged on opposite sides of the projection-aperture, of a receptacle for each spool adapted to protect the film thereon from fire, each receptacle having an opening for the passage of the film, automatically-operative means associ ated with each receptacle for preventing the passage of a flame through the opening and into the receptacle, and means associated with one of the receptacles for rotating the spool therein to wind the film thereon.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NICHOLAS POWER.

I/Vitnesses J. FRED. ACKER, JNo. M. BITTER. 

